title: The Great Lobster Cookbook
author: Matt Dean Pettit

publication date: October 28, 2014
publisher: Appetite by Random House

I decided right there and then that I would bring lobster to the people! No matter how far from the ocean they lived.
— Matt Dean Pettit (The Great Lobster Cookbook)

Paul and I are huge fans of lobster. HUGE. So when this book was announced, it immediately went to the top of my “Must Purchase” pile. I finally got my hands on a copy at a recent food event (and met Matt on the same day), and I couldn’t wait to see how many creative lobster recipes were included.

I cook lobster quite often (thanks for the skills mom!) – I’ve been cleaning, boiling and cracking open lobsters since I was a teenager, so it’s nothing new or out of the ordinary for me. It’s always weird to see how surprised my friends and in-laws are when I talk about cooking lobster and they seem shocked that I do it myself at home.

classic lobster boil

However, as many times as I have cooked lobster, I usually eat it very simply – just a little bit of butter and I’m good to go. I’ve often thought about what else I could do with the lobster meat, but I never follow through since I’m just so excited to have lobster. Sweet, sweet lobster.

the first nibble:

Besides writing a cookbook, Matt, is the chef and owner of Rock Lobster Food Co and also recently launched the Matty’s Seafood Retail Line (available at Sobeys across Ontario and in other major Canadian and US retailers). In short, Matt definitely knows his lobster.

The book starts off with a very useful ‘crash course’ in all things lobster (Lobster 101). There are lobster facts, info on how lobster is farmed, lobster lingo and lobster anatomy. If you’re going to be using this ingredient in so many ways, it definitely helps to have such a solid background.

lobsicle with sriracha mayo

The book is glossy, colourful and vibrant – definitely something that’s great to look at and is full of lobster goodness. There is no mistaking what this book is all about.

On my first pass through the book, five recipes that jumped out as ‘must try’:

• All Lobster “No Crab” Cakes with Old Bay Aioli, pg. 40
• RLFC Lobster Poutine, pg. 54
• Beer-Battered Buffalo Lobster Popcorn, pg. 62
• Rock Lobster Roll, pg. 101
• Vanilla Bean Lobster Ice Cream, pg. 169

 
the nitty-gritty:

number of recipes (as stated by book): “more than 100 recipes”

recipe list? Yes, at the start of each chapter, there’s a list of recipes contained in that chapter

table of contents: With an interesting ‘visual’ Table of Contents, recipes are grouped into simple categories.

photography:  The photography really adds to the feel of the book. It’s vibrant, colourful and gorgeous. The lobster is definitely the star in most of the photos, but there are just as many recipes where the lobster is hidden and the photos just focus on the good food.

The backgrounds are chosen with a lot of care in order to really bring out the colours of the food. There’s almost never anything fussy in the background or dishes, letting the food (and the lobster) take the main stage.

rock lobster’s famous caesar

photo to recipe ratio*:  out of 107 total recipes**, 60 recipes had at least one accompanying ‘finished dish’ photo or step-by-step photo (photo : recipe ratio = 1 : 1.8)
notes:
* this is a manual count, so numbers may be slightly off due to human error (mine)
** only ‘main’ recipes are counted – recipes that appear as part of another dish are not counted

recipes:
– separate ingredient list? yes
– serving info given? yes
– prep/cook time given? no
– recipe format: numbered steps

Each recipe is introduced with a short personal story or anecdote about the recipe and its origins.

The recipes are clearly laid out and have practical, easy-to-follow recipes in no-nonsense language. There is nothing complicated about the recipes, making the book approachable and easy to read.

Many of the recipes come with small notes, including suggestions to create variations, tips for storage, and facts about the ingredients.

In addition to Matt’s recipes, the book also has several lobster recipes from well-known Toronto chefs, including Mark McEwan and Roger Mooking.

all lobster “no crab” cakes with old bay aioli

the last bite:

After spending about 30 minutes just browsing through the book, I completely understand why The Great Lobster Cookbook has been showing up on year-end ‘Best of’ lists. This book definitely deserves the praise.

Full of imaginative ways to use lobster (including desserts!?), the simple, easy-to-follow recipes, beautiful photographs and Matt’s passion combine into one beautiful book.

I don’t have that many single-ingredient cookbooks (does anyone?) so I wasn’t sure if I would get bored with all the lobster recipes. However, this cookbook has an incredible range of recipes – you could very easily create a full 7-course dinner based on recipes from this book and not feel like you were over-dosing on lobster. I also love the variety of the recipes – there are fancy, dinner-party recipes and fun, picnic recipes and everything in between.

No matter if you love lobster and cook it often, or if you’re just starting out and have never made lobster at home, you should have this book on your shelf. It’s a definite must-have.

Click here to purchase The Great Lobster Cookbook from The Book Depository (free worldwide shipping) or Amazon.

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